On May 5th, Somali fighters of Hizbul Islam attacked the Dr. Hawa Abdi camp outside Mogadishu. The camp had been a refuge for up to 6,000 Somali families during the country’s long war-torn history. Named after the gynecologist who founded the camp, it offered a variety of services, including a clinic operated by Médicins Sans Frontières.
Reportedly, the gunbattle erupted after a guard hired by Médicins Sans Frontières owned money to a local resident, who contacted Hizbul Islam. The Islamist fighters came to arrest the guard, who refused to pay. Despite the death of the Hizbul Islam commander in the firefight, the Islamists eventually overran the camp’s guards. They then detained 20 local staff members and shut down the health clinic.
On May 9th, the fighters withdrew from the camp but continued to hold the staff members hostage. Furthermore, the clinic was devastated by the fighting:
They left behind ruined infrastructure, barren storerooms and an atmosphere of terror. “The hospital cannot function at the moment due to severe damage from the attack,” Deqo said. “All medical personnel are not working because of the bad condition the hospital is in. Over the last two days, eight children died in the feeding center because the nurses could not work and feed them.”
The point? Attacks against humanitarians are not always strategic. Sometimes the presence of undertrained guards and money is enough.
Christopher R. Albon is a Ph.D. candidate specializing in armed conflict, public health, human security, and health diplomacy.
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